THE ESCAPE
"Get inside, you fellows, now!" roughly commanded Silas Thorp. "If
you're going to act nasty we can do the same. You can make it easy or
hard for yourselves, just as you choose."
"We'll make it hard for you, before we finish!" threatened Nort.
At the sight of the steers bearing the Diamond X brand, Del Pinzo had
stepped out of the tent, but his place as guard, if such he might be
called, was taken by another Greaser, even less prepossessing in
appearance, and apparently of less intelligence, but with as evil
intentions. He scowled at the boys, and squatted down at the entrance
to the canvas shelter.
"Here's where you're going to stay, though you can have the freedom of
the camp if you promise not to try to leave," said Silas.
"We won't promise!" declared Nort.
"Not on your life!" added Dick, warmly.
"Then stay here, and there'll be trouble if you try to leave,"
threatened the man, who seemed to be a dried-up specimen of a museum
attendant, which character, so Nort said afterward, he forcibly called
to mind.
He spoke something, evidently in Spanish, or the Mexican variety of
that language, to the fellow who had replaced Del Pinzo, and the man,
who was making himself comfortable at the entrance of the tent,
murmured:
"_Si, senor_!"
"Which means he'll do as he was told," spoke Nort to Dick in a low
voice as Silas passed out. "Stick us with his knife or jab the
business end of his gun in the small of our backs."
"We mustn't give him the chance," spoke Dick.
"I should say not! We'll get away before he knows it."
The brothers spoke together in low tones, but loudly enough for the
guard to hear. However he showed no interest in what they said, from
which they concluded he either understood no English, or pretended not
to.
"But we won't take a chance," decided Nort. "We won't discuss anything
we don't want him to overhear. It's likely they thought they could
fool us by putting in a man we would evidently think couldn't
understand our talk."
"I get you," said Dick, briefly. "But what do you think of those
cattle?" and he nodded toward where could be heard the noise made by
camp attendants driving the Diamond X steers whither they were wanted
to go.
"Just what I've been thinking all along," declared Nort. "This outfit
is a bunch of high-class cattle thieves!"
He shot the words out forcibly, and looked keenly at the Greaser guard
to see if they made any impression on him. However, the Mexican was
either a perfect actor, or he did not understand what was said, for he
gave no sign, and appeared to be in a brown study as he sat hunched up
on the ground at the flap of the tent.
"Wonder what's going on?" mused Dick, as the noise increased, the
shouts of men mingling with the snorting and bellowing of cattle. "I'm
going to take a look."
He stepped forward to part the flaps of the tent, they having fallen
together, but as he did so the Greaser ripped out something fiercely in
his own tongue, and his hand went toward a sheathed knife at his belt.
"Oh, keep your shirt on!" burst out Dick. "I'm not going to run
away--not just now," he added as a qualifying phrase.
Whether the man understood the words, or guessed that Dick had no
intention of escaping, was not made clear, but he offered no further
objection to the act of the boys in pulling aside the flaps of the tent
and looking out.
They saw that the cattle which had been taken from the Diamond X
ranch--stolen as Dick and Nort believed--were being driven into a
small, and evidently hastily-constructed corral, where they could get
to the stream to drink.
"They've got a regular system," remarked Nort, as he saw the cattle
being quieted down, once they were inside the improvised pen.
"Making a business of it," agreed Dick. "But you wouldn't think such
men as these two professors would frame it up to be cattle rustlers;
would you?"
"That isn't all they are," said Nort. "That digging and blasting means
something!"
He pointed to where, on the side hill at the scene of the first
explosion, the two scientists were evidently directing operations
looking to another blast. Professor Wright and his aide seemed to pay
no attention to the cattle that had been brought in.
"This is a queer sort of game," said Dick to his brother, as they went
back in the tent and sat down on boxes at the heads of their cots. "I
can't see to the bottom of it."
"Nor I, except that these fellows are doing something they don't want
known. Rustling cattle isn't all of it, by any means, but if the other
isn't digging for gold, or something valuable, I give up."
"But if they were after gold, why would they deny it?" asked Dick.
"You've got me!" admitted Nort. "It sure is queer. But I wonder if
they're going to starve us; and what's become of our ponies?"
The last question was answered first, for Dick pointed to where, off to
one side, Blaze and Blackie were contentedly grazing, being pegged out,
as were a number of other horses.
And, an hour or so later, came the answer to the other question, for a
man, who evidently acted as camp cook, came to the tent with a pot of
coffee, some tin cups, and the head of a barrel used as a tray, on
which was piled some food.
Had the viands been most uninviting, Dick and Nort would have eagerly
welcomed them, for the boys were hungry. But, as a matter of fact, the
food was clean, and well cooked. The two professors, whatever might be
their game, evidently insisted on adequate culinary operations.
"Sail in!" exclaimed Nort, as he smelled the appetizing odor of the hot
coffee, and what appeared to be some Mexican dish, cooked with plenty
of beans, and more red peppers than the boys cared for.
But, as I have said, they were hungry, and this is the best sauce in
the world. None of the condiments so freely used by the Mexicans was
needed, and soon there was silence in the prisoners' tent, broken only
by the clatter of knives and forks on the tin camp dishes.
Once or twice the Greaser guard looked at the boys in what Dick and
Nort both agreed, later, was a hungry style. The pot of coffee was
much more than the boys needed, though they ate up all the food. And
it was while feeling in his pockets for a toothpick that Nort's fingers
touched something which played a very prominent part in subsequent
events.
Slowly Nort drew forth a small bottle, and held it up so Dick could see
it, but so that it was concealed from the Greaser at the tent entrance.
And then Dick noted that Nort held up a four ounce flask of paregoric.
Nort had been suffering from toothache the past few days, though for
some reason it had not bothered him since he and Dick had become
"lost." Perhaps the excitement following that incident quieted the
nerves. At any rate Nort carried the bottle of paregoric with him, for
one of the cowboys had recommended that this household mixture of
opium, rubbed on the gums, would give relief.
Nort found that it did, and since then he had carried the bottle with
him, pending the time he expected to visit a dentist. He now held this
phial of paregoric up so Dick could see, at the same time pointing
first to the Greaser and then to the coffee pot.
"Now?" asked Dick, in reply to Nort's obvious statement that he
intended to administer some of the soporific to their guard.
"To-night," was Nort's answer, and then he put the bottle back in his
pocket.
Dick's eyes lighted up. He knew the effect of a large dose of
paregoric, comparatively harmless as it is in small quantities, or as
Nort used it.
Now a way seemed opened for the boys. If only they could command the
other elements necessary for success.
Nort made sure of one, by pouring out a cup of coffee, liberally
sweetening it with sugar from the barrel head tray, and setting the
beverage to one side on the ground under his cot.
The camp cook came to carry away what the boys had left--which was not
much--and if he missed one cup he said nothing about it. Perhaps this
was because, just then, some of the cattle tried to break out of the
corral, and there was a shout raised for help--to which the cook
responded. But the Greaser guard did not leave his place. Evidently
his orders were imperative.
"When are you going to try it?" whispered Dick to Nort, as the shadows
began to lengthen, and night settled down on the camp.
"Not until after dark--say about ten," replied Nort in a low voice.
"It will take about two hours for him to fall asleep, and then we can
get out, get aboard our ponies and trust to luck."
"If he only goes to sleep," sighed Dick.
"I'll give half the bottle full," whispered Nort.
The Greaser paid no attention to their talk, but sat immobile at the
tent flaps. During the time the boys had been held prisoners no one
had come to their canvas shelter save the cook, who brought them a
plentiful supper, and also another barrel-head tray for the guard. The
day had passed with several blasts having been set off, though the
effect of them, and the object, was concealed from the boy ranchers.
In accordance with their plan, Nort and Dick dawdled over their night
meal, having consumed only part of it when the cook, at about eight
o'clock, came to remove the dishes.
"Git 'em mornin'," he said, as he turned to go out, evidently meaning
that he was going to turn in, and the boys could keep what they had
until the next day. This exactly suited them, and just before they
were ready to lie down, pretending to be sleepy, Nort produced the cup
of coffee he had saved out. Quickly he emptied into it half of the
bottle of paregoric, and, stirring it to mix the opium concoction well
with the beverage, offered it to the Greaser.
If the latter had suspicions he made no show of them, but, with a grunt
accepted the unexpected refreshment, and drained the coffee at one tilt
of his head. Then he passed the empty cup back to Nort, and proceeded
to smoke another cigarette, an occupation that had been pretty much his
whole task that day.
"Well, I'm going to turn in," said Nort in a loud voice, pretending to
yawn.
"Same here," remarked Dick. Without undressing, they stretched out on
the cots, not being afraid of soiling white sheets with their big
boots, for there were no sheets to soil. Blankets alone formed the
coverings, and these the boys drew over them.
There was no lantern in the tent, but the moon sent a stream of light
in a little later, and by its gleam, in less than an hour after the
dose had been administered, Nort and Dick saw the Greaser's head bent
forward, while he had slumped down in a heap at the foot of the front
tent pole.
Nort coughed loudly, two or three times, but the guard did not stir.
"Dead to the world!" whispered Dick gleefully. "We could walk all over
him." He arose from the cot slowly, to silence as much as possible the
rattle and squeak, and started for the front of the tent.
"The back way!" whispered Nort. "We'll cut the canvas! If we go out
in front some one may see us. The back way!"
Dick comprehended, and turned around, picking up his range hat, an
example followed by Nort. The latter had opened his pocket knife,
which contained a large, keen blade, and, a moment later, a
right-angled cut was made in the back wall of the canvas house.
Before emerging, Nort looked carefully through the opening he had made.
The moon gave good light, but, fortunately, the tent was in the shadow
of some trees and the way of escape seemed clear.
"Come on!" whispered Nort to his brother. They paused a moment,
listening to the heavy breathing of the opium-stupefied Greaser and
then stepped out of the opening.
An instant later they stood beneath the starry canopy of the sky,
having accomplished the first part of their escape from the camp of
mystery.